Chinese national in the US Army arrested for spying on US engineers, scientists, and even defense contractors for China

Feng Li / Getty

CHICAGO (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Chinese citizen living in Chicago has been arrested for spying on U.S. engineers and scientists, including defense contractors, on behalf of the Chinese government.

Authorities said Tuesday 27-year-old Ji Chaoqun has been charged with one count of knowingly acting in the U.S. as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification of the attorney general. They say he worked at the direction of high-ranking intelligence officials with the People's Republic of China and was tasked with providing information about eight people for possible recruitment.

Ji was scheduled to appear Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Chicago.

A criminal complaint says Ji came to the U.S. in 2013 on a student visa to study engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 2016.

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